We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rikki Fernandez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Rikki thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?
I would advise anyone interested in following the same career path to be as confident as possible even when they aren’t feeling confident. Especially if you are starting out young. As a hairstylist starting out in my early 20s, I let all of my clients take control of the appt because most of them were older than me. This would lead to not having the best result at the end of the appt. I would forget that I was the professional and they were there for my professional guidance.
If you’re starting your own business, take the time to create the best menu and hours that fit your lifestyle. Eventually your book will be filled with the clientele that fits your menu and schedule. I’m fortunate to have a large clientele but because I left all days and hours open for scheduling, I’m now having a hard time navigating my clientele to a schedule that allows me to spend time with my family in the evenings and weekends. I wouldn’t change it for the world but if you are just starting out I absolutely advise to maintain the schedule and menu that works best for you and the rest will follow 😁
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Background- Graduated Paul Mitchell Orlando in 2010 Licensed Cosmetologist since 2010
Went through a salon assistant training program for a year at a ‘Salon Today Top 200’ salon before taking on clients full time
Left commission based salon to pursue dream of owning my own salon in 2014
Has overseen and worked weddings, parties, photoshoots, video shoots since 2014
Has overseen and worked festivals since 2018
As a kid I was always interested in the glamorous lifestyles of celebrities, I was also really into art and anything creative. As I got older I also became very interested in peoples’ stories and where they came from. This cultivated my decision to go into a cosmetology field.
I believe what sets me apart from others in my field is that I want people to feel beautiful inside and out. I’m not into the vain and judgmental side of the industry. If a client isn’t confident with themselves, I feel that regardless of what I do to a clients hair – they will not be happy with the results if they aren’t already happy with themselves. During each clients appts I make sure they are aware of all of the wonderful things about themselves that sets them apart from everyone else. Beauty and confidence truly starts from the inside out.
As for my brand – Rocked by Rikki, I love music and wanted to incorporate that into my brand. This has also led me to working more events and festivals and it’s so much fun for me. I find that I build a client relationship by starting with color and cuts, and that soon transitions to me working their weddings, special events and photoshoots. I want each client to be confident and rocked by Rikki for all the things they want to look and feel their best for.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I believe I built my social media following by supporting other small businesses and cheering them on. Also providing advice for businesses that are looking for support and hyping them up when they need a pick me up. Make sure to engage with anyone that has taken the time to comment on your posts, definitely return the favor. I was finding I didn’t have a lot of time to manage my social media so I hired a close friend of mine to help me stay on top of social media engagement. Most importantly- follow back all followers! Social media is known for its unspoken popularity ratio of followers to following, but I think it matters more to create real relationships with your followers and show them the same support they show you
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
When I decided to open my own business and rent a salon suite in 2014, there was not a lot of support for salon suite owners. Most product companies wouldn’t allow suite owners to carry their products and free education was not available. I finally felt more supported when I signed a lease with My Salon Suites, they are an amazing company that gives a big salon feel to self employed cosmetologists. Anyone looking to start their own business should look into My Salon Suites. They have so many options to help support your business, anything from education all the way to group events to build team morale with all your follow suite owners
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.rockedbyrikki.com
- Instagram: @rockedbyrikki
- Facebook: @rockedbyrikki
Image Credits
Striking brand